Review: ENCORE at the Eccles Theater was the Event of the Year

ENCORE: A MUSICAL REVIEW at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City, featuring Broadway stars Jeremy Jordan, Kara Lindsay, and Jessica Vosk, was undeniably Utah’s musical theatre event of the year. 

All three are stunning performers, and the concert was a thrilling marathon that gave each the opportunity to sing six solos, build rapport with the audience, and join together for three duets. 

Jessica Vosk began the show with her trademark astonishing steely vocals and engaging banter.  Everything about her exudes endless star power, and she deserves to originate major roles on Broadway.  Highlights included formidable renditions of “Heart of Stone” from SIX, “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from FUNNY GIRL, and “Gimme, Gimme” from THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (her first public performance of the song).

Kara Lindsay’s entertaining set included “Popular” from WICKED, which she sang to great acclaim on the Eccles stage as Glinda when the national tour played there in 2019.  She broke the collective heart of the audience with a magnificent “My House” from MATILDA, and her strong legit vocals and belt were equally showcased in the song she is most known for—“Watch What Happens” from NEWSIES.

She was then joined by Jeremy Jordan for the song everyone was waiting for—their duet from the musical, “Something to Believe In.”  What an electrifying moment to see and hear two leads from an iconic original cast reunite to sing together from the score more than a decade later.

The other two duets were additional high points, including Vosk and Lindsay in “I Will Never Leave You” from SIDE SHOW and Jordan and Vosk in “You Matter to Me” from WAITRESS.

The final soloist was the incomparable Jeremy Jordan, who charmed with his humor and regaled the audience with pristine vocals in his memorable SMASH number “Broadway, Here I Come” and the gorgeous “For Her” from THE GREAT GATSBY (which he is currently in rehearsals for with a Broadway opening next month).  The crowning glory was his NEWSIES hit “Santa Fe,” which soared as much as it did in 2012. 

The show ended somewhat abruptly with no group number or encore (which is ironic considering the title).  It would have been a wonderful sendoff if the three had been able to close things out with a trio. 

The long running time of 2 hours, 15 minutes was appreciated, but an intermission could easily have been added between the second and third performers, which Jordan noted with an amusing running joke about bathroom breaks.

Music director Ross Boothe skillfully accompanied all three singers even with little rehearsal, and the sound by Shadow Mountain Productions was well balanced.

The lighting, also by Shadow Mountain, was truly exquisite, with colors, patterns, and rhythms that matched the mood of the music, complemented the clothing of the performers, and elevated every number to a showstopper.  Typically the lighting in a concert like this is an afterthought, but in this case it was carefully crafted to reflect and amplify the feeling behind each song.

A big thank you to producer Tanner J. Christensen for his commitment to bringing Broadway talent to Utah.  Here’s hoping for much more to come!

For information on upcoming performances in the Live! at the Eccles series or to buy tickets, call ArtTix at 801-355-ARTS (2787) or visit www.artsaltlake.org. 

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